"You might be able to make the best, most delicious cupcakes in the entire world, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to be good at running a bakery" with Kim Hefner

Kim Hefner is the owner and photographer at Wild and Found Photography.  Based out of Denver, Colorado, Kim specializes in photographing adventurous couples sessions, including elopements, microweddings, proposals, and engagements.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

My background in photography started when I was pretty young. My dad was always a big photography buff and hobbyist, so my brothers and I had cameras in our hands from a young age. He started giving us little disposable cameras (if you remember those!) for every family vacation when I was probably 7 or 8, and then I got upgraded to a digital camera when I was about 13. I still have some of the printed photos from those disposable cameras, and they are pretty awful, as you might expect! Ha!

What inspired you to start your business?

I actually did not start my business until after age 30, in the midst of a career crisis. I went to school for accounting, but at a certain point, my accounting career stopped being fulfilling to me. I struggled for a couple of years to figure out what I actually wanted to do.  As the cliché goes, life is short, and I wanted to spend my days in a way that aligned with my goals and values.

Finding out that adventure elopements were an actual thing is what inspired me to start my business. It was the perfect combination of my passion for the outdoors, photography, and business.  

Even more than that, as someone who also never loved the idea of a big, traditional wedding for myself, it felt great to be able to empower couples to choose a wedding day that actually felt right to them and represented who they are.

I was able to offer couples a way to live in alignment with their values for one of the most special days in their life, and live in alignment with my own goals and values through my career at the same time.

Where is your business based?

My business is based out of Denver, Colorado, but I am usually traveling to somewhere else within the state to get those epic mountain photos! I do also travel to other states, as well as internationally for destination sessions. My favorite destination location that I’ve shot in was Costa Rica for a proposal at the most amazing blue-green waterfall.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I first got started with my business by taking photos of friends and relatives. As a professional photographer, it’s hard to ask clients to pay you to do a type of work that you’ve never done before. So the very first step that I took (and that I recommend to other aspiring photographers) is to get out there and start shooting what you want to shoot.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Thus far, content marketing and learning how to effectively implement SEO principles into my website have been the most effective ways of raising awareness for my brand. This is particularly true in the area of adventure elopements and proposals. These are areas of photography where clients really benefit from working with someone that can help them as more than just a photographer, using planning resources (i.e., content) that I’ve created. I’ve created many resources to help couples, such as planning guides for popular Colorado elopement locations, or an article on how to craft the perfect proposal speech. Many of my clients have found me through these resources.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

One of the biggest challenges for me has been overcoming my social anxiety and stage fright when it comes to the initial phone calls with potential clients. These initial phone calls are so important because it’s the time when the couple gets to know you to see if you’re a good fit. It’s also the chance to communicate your value and what you offer for clients that other photographers don’t. So it’s an absolutely crucial step.

But it definitely doesn’t come naturally to me. As an introvert, I don’t really love talking about myself. It’s just something that you only get better at by doing over and over again. It gets a tiny bit easier every time. Another thing that I do to help is to take about 5 minutes after each call to reflect on how it went, what I did well, and what I could do better for next time.

How do you stay focused?

A couple of the best things I’ve found that help me stay inspired, motivated, and focused on my business are listening to TEDTalks on YouTube and reading business-related books. I try to take some time for this during my mornings a few days a week.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

I differentiate myself from other photographers by truly being a full-service provider.

Most wedding photographers are just going to show up to the wedding day and shoot for you. There’s really no need for them to get more involved because with traditional weddings there is usually either a wedding planner, a venue coordinator, a day-of coordinator, or at least a very involved friend or family member to help.

With elopements and microweddings, as well as proposals, sometimes as the photographer, I am the only professional my clients have to help with things like figuring out the perfect location, logistics, and timelines, figuring out permits for public lands, and finding trusted local vendors. So all of these things (and more) are included as part of all of my photography packages. It really does make a difference for my couples.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Utilizing SEO and content marketing has been the most effective way for me to grow my business.

What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

There’s a phrase I like to tell people that goes: You might be able to make the best, most delicious cupcakes in the entire world, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to be good at running a bakery.

There are many people who want to take their personal skills or talents and turn them into a business, but they don’t really approach it as if they are running a business. If you want your business to grow and make a profit, you have to treat it like a business and not a hobby. That means learning about things like marketing and business strategy, and even a little bit of things like accounting.

What’s your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

My favorite and most used app is definitely AllTrails, which I use for finding great locations for hiking and even places to take clients! Since so many people use the app, it’s also great for checking trail conditions via user trip reports. It also has a GPS for tracking your hike as you go, so you can see your personal stats like pace, mileage, and elevation gain.

My favorite blog is Afford Anything by Paula Pant. While this blog started out as a personal finance blog, the real underlying premise is actually that every decision you make is a tradeoff. This includes not only your money but also your time and energy, so you have to make good decisions about what you do every single day. This kind of mindset is incredibly useful in both business and in life.

My favorite book is Building a Storybrand by Donald Miller. This book was so insightful and helpful when thinking through my marketing plan. It really makes you look at your product or service and think of it from the mindset of your customer, rather than from your own perspective. I highly recommend it to anyone running their own business.

What’s your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

My favorite business tool is SEMrush, an SEO tool that allows me to research what content my audience is most interested in, as well as researching my competitors, and checking in on key metrics for my own website.

Who is your business role model? Why?

One of my favorite business role models is Rand Fishkin, who went from being $500,000 in debt with his business to creating a successful and well-respected company in the SEO world, SEOMoz. 

I once heard an interview with Rand Fishkin, where he talked about something that I’ll never forget now that I have my own business. He talked about how most people, even those who seem very successful, are muddling through things more than you think.

When I started my business and even today, I often find myself feeling like I am muddling through. And even more than that I compare myself to local competitors who are much more established than me. In these times, I’ve found this lesson to be a source of motivation. I remind myself that all of these other entrepreneurs were doing the same thing at one point and probably still are. It’s totally normal to be muddling your way through entrepreneurship and to make mistakes. Even if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing now, just keep going, because that’s the way you grow yourself and your business. 

How do you balance work and life?

Learning to balance work and life is something I’m definitely still working on! My business and its success mean so much to me that I’ve often found myself sacrificing personal time in instances where I never would have so when working in the corporate world. I’m trying to work on putting personal time first in the day, such as working out in the morning before I even start my work.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

My favorite way to decompress is to go for a long, challenging hike—without my camera! When I have my camera with me, I’m always thinking about getting shots. I can’t help myself! So going without it forces me to let go a bit and just enjoy nature.  And if it’s cold outside, I like to treat myself to a hot tub session afterward, which is extra relaxing.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

Over the next six months, I have lots of elopements coming up! There are still so many couples who have decided to postpone or cancel their wedding due to COVID, and I’ve been lucky enough to work with many of these who still want to get married!

Outside of my client work, I’ll continue to create even more resources for clients who are planning elopements and proposals. I’m also currently working on becoming a Leave No Trace Certified Photographer. For photographers that work outdoors on public lands, Leave No Trace is crucial to preserving the places we love so we can continue to take couples to these beautiful locations and photography them.

How can our readers connect with you?

I’d love for readers to connect with me on Instagram at @wildandfoundphoto or on Twitter at @wildfoundphoto. I’m also on Facebook (Wild and Found Photography), and finally, my website (https://wildandfoundphoto.com/) is also a great place to learn more about me and my photography!